Nevada side, Lake Tahoe
Marla Bay
A shoreline neighborhood with a long sandy beach, below Highway 50 between Elk Point and Zephyr Cove.
About Marla Bay
Where it is
Marla Bay sits on the southeast shore between Elk Point and Zephyr Cove, on low ground between Highway 50 and the water. The bay is named for John Marley, who claimed 160 acres here in 1864. Into the 1950s it was mostly summer homes on unpaved roads.
How the neighborhood is organized
Two separate bodies serve Marla Bay. The Marla Bay General Improvement District maintains the streets, curbs and gutters, storm drainage, street lighting, fencing and gates.
The Marla Bay Protective Association, founded in 1946, is voluntary and says plainly that it is not a homeowners association. Membership lets owners apply for a summer buoy in its buoy field and for space on the kayak rack.
The beach
According to the association, private lots run to the high-water line, and the association owns the beach below that line along a defined stretch, deeded to it by the original developer. Dogs are not allowed on the beach between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
From the air
Marla Bay on video
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Around Marla Bay
Photographs: Tony Laurian.
Buying anywhere on the Nevada shore
These rules apply to Marla Bay and to every other neighborhood on this side of the lake.
Stormwater BMPs
Every developed property in the Tahoe Basin must install and maintain TRPA-approved stormwater Best Management Practices. Their status is disclosed to the buyer when a home sells.
TRPA: stormwater BMPs(opens in a new tab)Buoys, lifts and slips
Existing moorings must be registered and permitted with TRPA, and the registration is renewed each year. New moorings are allocated by lottery.
TRPA: shoreline program(opens in a new tab)Vacation rentals
Douglas County caps the number of vacation-rental permits in the Tahoe Township, limits their share of each neighborhood, and treats a permit as discretionary rather than a right. Association rules can add their own limits.
Douglas County: vacation rentals(opens in a new tab)Defensible space
Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District inspects defensible space around homes and offers consultations to owners.
Tahoe Douglas Fire: defensible space(opens in a new tab)
Sources
This guide is general background drawn from the public sources below, not a disclosure about any property. Rules, fees and services change, so confirm anything that matters with the district, association or agency before you rely on it.
Questions about Marla Bay?
Ask directly. A conversation will get you further than a page of description.